The Cleveland Cavaliers are in some uncharted territory right now.
They dropped their first game in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and they just lost home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Indiana Pacers kept running and pushing the pace over and over in Game 1, and it was just too much for Kenny Atkinson’s team to handle.
That’s why, following the loss, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com said the Cavs desperately need to find a way to keep up with the Pacers.
“The Cavs never could fully match the Pacers’ frenetic pace. It wasn’t necessary to run with the Pacers. Few teams can. But there was more wrong with the Cavs offense than long shots banging off the rim,” Pluto wrote.
The Pacers defeated the Cavs three out of four times in the regular season.
Rick Carlisle’s team poses a major matchup challenge for the Cavaliers, especially with Cleveland guard Darius Garland out with an injury.
It’s too early to panic, and the Cavs didn’t usually lose consecutive games this season, but the coaching staff needs to figure out some answers before it’s too late.
The Pacers are battle-tested and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, yet they continue to be overlooked.
Finding a way to slow down their pace and getting them to play more half-court offense will be crucial to the Cavaliers’ aspirations.
Indiana’s half-court defense isn’t very good, and its offense turns stagnant and predictable if not allowed to run or establish position in the early stages of the possession.
This was never going to be easy for the Cavs, but it just got a little more challenging.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Injury Update About Darius Garland
